Focal BeamCapitol BasementA daily look at the news from the editors of Capitol Weekly and AroundTheCapitol.comcopyright (c) 2018, Capitol Basementhttp://capitolbasement.com/rss.php2018-05-24T09:39:28ZComments and Tipstips@capitolbasement.comurn:blog:wnzcoopu1y8pw9.15rpb6hppq5dc3j2018-05-24T14:39:28Z<p><b><a href="http://capitolweekly.net/poll-newsom-top-cox-villaraigosa-duel-2nd-spot/">Poll: Newsom on top; Cox, Villaraigosa duel for 2nd spot</a></b></p>
<p><b>PPIC </b>in <strong>Capitol Weekly</strong>: "Democrat Gavin Newsom remains the top choice among likely voters in the state&rsquo;s gubernatorial primary, and Republican John Cox is in a close race with Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa to gain the second spot on November&rsquo;s general election ballot. Senator Dianne Feinstein holds a double-digit lead over fellow Democrat Kevin de Le&oacute;n<strong>."</strong></p>
<p><strong>"</strong>These are among the key findings of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/s-518mbs.pdf">a statewide survey released today</a>&nbsp;by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC)."</p>
<p><a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/23/california-republicans-cox-midterms-603407">California Republicans bet the House on unknown businessman</a></p>
<p><strong>FROM Politico's DAVID SIDERS:</strong> "When President Donald Trump threw his endorsement Friday to John Cox, a little-known businessman running for California governor, he also gave House Republicans a potentially significant lift in their effort to maintain control of Congress."</p>
<p>"Republicans in this heavily Democratic state long ago abandoned almost any hope of winning the governorship, but getting shut out in California&rsquo;s primary &mdash; where the top two finishers advance, regardless of party &mdash; could depress turnout and lead to devastating losses in House races statewide. In a warning to Republicans in April,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/04/07/newt-gingrich-california-may-elect-republican-governor-incredible-as-that-sounds.html" target="_blank">former House Speaker Newt Gingrich wrote</a>&nbsp;that Cox advancing to the November ballot &ldquo;will be vital for keeping the Republican majority.&rdquo;</p>
<p><span>"Trump&rsquo;s endorsement of Cox, a wealthy businessman who previously ran unsuccessfully for House and Senate seats in Illinois and, briefly, for president in 2008, was the culmination of weeks of effort by Republican leadership, including endorsements from House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.). The president&rsquo;s intervention is considered especially significant as Cox failed to secure the California Republican Party&rsquo;s endorsement, splitting activists&rsquo; support at the state party&rsquo;s convention this month with another Republican, state Assemblyman Travis Allen."</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;<strong>READ MORE</strong>&nbsp;related to <strong>Gubernatorial Race</strong>:&nbsp;<b><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article211777204.html">Cox slams Trump, who endorsed him for California governor</a>&nbsp;--&nbsp;</b><b>Sacramento Bee's ALEXEI KOSEFF</b>; <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article211700124.html">Newsom and Republican endorsed by Trump headed to runoff for California governor, poll shows</a> -- <strong>Sacramento Bee's ANGELA HART</strong>; <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Newsom-strategy-Face-Republican-in-the-fall-by-12935296.php">Newsom strategy: Face Republican in the fall by knocking Dems out in June</a> -- <strong>The Chronicle's MATIER &amp; ROSS</strong>; <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Republican-Meg-Whitman-backs-a-Democrat-for-12939224.php?src=hp_totn">Republican Meg Whitman backs a Democrat for California governor</a> -- <strong>The Chronicle's JOE GAROFOLI</strong></p>
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<p><strong><a href="http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/sd-me-harkey-chavez-20180523-story.html">Conservative group starts ad campaign for Rocky Ch&aacute;vez and Diane Harkey</a></strong></p>
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<p><strong>From JOSHUA STEWART in the Union-Tribune: "F</strong>ollowing an attack ad by&nbsp;<a id="ORGOV0000005" title="Democratic Party" href="http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/topic/politics-government/democratic-party-ORGOV0000005-topic.html">Democrats</a>&nbsp;and outside spending from the left, a conservative political committee is launching an ad campaign to support two&nbsp;<a id="ORGOV0000004" title="Republican Party" href="http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/topic/politics-government/republican-party-ORGOV0000004-topic.html">Republicans</a>&nbsp;running for a highly-contested House seat."</p>
<p>"<a id="ORGOV0000275" title="Federal Election Commission" href="http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/topic/politics-government/government/federal-election-commission-ORGOV0000275-topic.html">Federal Election Commission</a>&nbsp;records show that the American Future Fund, an organization that says it defends free market economic principles, is spending nearly $500,000 to boost Assemblyman Rocky Ch&aacute;vez, R-<a id="SDCT0012" title="Oceanside" href="http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/topic/san-diego-county/oceanside-SDCT0012-topic.html">Oceanside</a>, and Board of Equalization Member&nbsp;<a id="PEPLT00008541" title="Diane L. Harkey" href="http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/topic/politics-government/government/diane-l.-harkey-PEPLT00008541-topic.html">Diane Harkey</a>, R-Dana Point, in their run for the House."</p>
<p>"Records filed Wednesday show that the Iowa-based organization is planning to spend $65,000 on door-to-door voter outreach and $180,487 on television commercials on both Harkey and Ch&aacute;vez. In all, it&rsquo;s spending $490,973 in the race to succeed Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, in the 49th Congressional District."</p>
<p>"Polls have shown that Ch&aacute;vez is consistently in first or second place in the 16-candidate field and poised to advance to the November runoff. Harkey, however, usually finishes around fourth or worse, falling short in California&rsquo;s top-two primary."</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-usc-poll-gas-tax-20180524-story.html">Majority of California voters want to repeal gas tax increase, poll finds</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>LA Times's PATRICK MCGREEVY</strong>: "As a new poll found a majority of California voters want to repeal increases to the state's gas tax and vehicle fees, Gov. Jerry Brown has begun campaigning to preserve them, arguing the sacrifice is needed to fix long-neglected roads and bridges and improve mass transit."<br /><br />"Repeal of the higher taxes and fees was supported by 51% of registered voters in the state, according to a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times statewide poll."</p>
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<p data-page="1"><strong><a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-usc-academic-senate-vote-20180523-story.html">USC's Academic Senate calls on university president to resign after a series of scandals</a></strong></p>
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<p data-page="1"><strong>From the LA TIMES:</strong> "The body that represents USC's faculty called on President C.L. Max Nikias to resign Wednesday in the wake of relevations that the university's longtime gynecologist faced&nbsp;<a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-usc-doctor-misconduct-complaints-20180515-story.html" target="_blank">years of accusations</a>&nbsp;of misconduct by students and colleagues at the campus' health clinic."</p>
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<p>"The Academic Senate took the vote late Wednesday afternoon after a fiery town hall meeting attended by more than 100 faculty members, many of whom voiced outrage over Nikias and the Board of Trustees' leadership. The vote came a day after the trustees' executive committee&nbsp;<a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-usc-faculty-petition-nikias-20180522-story.html" target="_blank">stood firmly</a>&nbsp;behind Nikias, saying it has "full confidence" in his leadership, ethics and values."</p>
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<p>"At the town hall meeting, Senate President Paul Rosenbloom said he did not think Nikias or Provost Michael Quick committed wrongdoing but that the university president deserved criticism for a lack of transparency."</p>
<p>"Professors then demanded that the Senate take an immediate vote of no confidence in Nikias. Those who spoke were also critical of the Board of Trustees, with some insinuating that the board answered to Nikias instead of the other way around."</p>
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<p data-page="1"><strong><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-23/trump-auto-officials-re-affirm-goal-of-national-mileage-rules">Trump, Auto Officials Re-Affirm Goal of National Mileage Rules</a></strong></p>
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<p data-page="1"><strong>From Bloomberg's RYAN BEENE and JOHJN LIPPERT:</strong> "California&rsquo;s top air-quality official held a series of meetings with auto industry and federal officials in Washington on Wednesday who re-affirmed a desire to maintain a single national standard for auto efficiency."</p>
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<p>"The talks with California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols were set in motion by President Donald Trump&rsquo;s May 11&nbsp;<a itemscope="itemscope" itemprop="StoryLink" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2018-05-11/trump-tells-car-execs-he-s-still-open-to-talks-with-california" title="Trump Tells Car CEOs He&rsquo;ll Talk With California on Standards (1)" target="_blank">instruction</a>&nbsp;to federal agencies that oversee the fuel efficiency regulations to pursue talks with California on revisions to the standards."<br /><br />"After the meeting, White House Deputy Press Secretary Lindsay Walters said the administration would continue the conversation &ldquo;so that domestic automakers do not have to comply with two different regulatory regimes.&rdquo;</p>
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<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article211793099.html">DA candidate Phillips 'embarrassed,' apologizes for response to sexist, racist email</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's DARRELL SMITH</strong>: "Noah Phillips apologized to supporters&nbsp;<span >Wednesday</span>&nbsp;via Twitter for a racist and sexist email plumbed from his county-run email account that could threaten his campaign for Sacramento County District Attorney in the race's final days.</p>
<p><br />"Over two years ago, my 70-year-old uncle sent these emails. I should have challenged them," the tweet read. "Instead, I am embarrassed to say, I didn't. I failed to change a narrative with a close relative because it was simply easier not to."</p>
<p><br />"The email detailing what men can expect sexually by the third date with women of various ethnic groups was sent to Phillips by his uncle in February 2016 and was recently discovered by District Attorney's officials as part of an internal DA's investigation into defense attorneys' allegations of prosecutorial misconduct at trial in the 2016 murder of a south Sacramento man."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/science/article/In-Bay-Area-six-national-parks-would-be-12938661.php">In Bay Area, six national sites would be threatened by offshore oil drilling, report says</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's PETER FIMRITE</strong>: "<span>Six national park sites in the Bay Area would be in danger of being slimed by oil &mdash; one of the most hard-hit areas in the country &mdash; if President Trump goes through with his plan to expand offshore oil drilling along the California coast, a national report on federal parks said Wednesday."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>Oil spills would threaten beaches, marinas, historic and recreational sites in 10 federal park lands in California, including protected areas in San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma and Contra Costa counties, said the report by the National Parks Conservation Association and the Natural Resources Defense Council."</span></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Trump-violated-First-Amendment-by-blocking-12938020.php">Trump violated First Amendment by blocking Twitter users, judge rules</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's BENNY EVANGELISTA</strong>: "<span>President Trump violated the First Amendment by blocking seven people from his official Twitter account because they posted comments criticizing his policies, a federal judge in New York ruled Wednesday."</span></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/A-year-after-scathing-audit-Janet-Napolitano-s-12939027.php?src=hp_totn">A year after scathing audit, UC president's office to present transparent budget</a></strong></p>
<p><b>The Chronicle's NANETTE ASIMOV</b>: "<span>The University of California regents grilled top UC officials Wednesday about why they missed a critical deadline for complying with the recommendations in a 2017 state audit that uncovered $175 million squirreled away in President Janet Napolitano&rsquo;s office."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>That hidden money &mdash; much of it&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/Closer-look-at-175-million-UC-hid-from-the-public-11144359.php?utm_campaign=twitter-premium">used for university projects&nbsp;</a><span>but never disclosed to the regents in the UC president&rsquo;s annual budget presentation &mdash; prompted the auditor to prescribe an overhaul of the $813.5 million president&rsquo;s office that oversees the UC system."</span></span></p>
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<p><strong><a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-home-prices-20180523-story.html">SoCal's median home price hits a record $520k despite rising mortgage rates</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>LA Times's ANDREW KHOURI</strong>: "Southern California home prices in April surged 7.2% from a year earlier to reach an all-time high, a sharp increase at a time when rising mortgage rates are making an already pricey housing market even more so."</p>
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<p data-page="1">"The region's median sale price for new and resale houses and condos was $520,000, up $1,000 from the previous high set in March, according to a report released Wednesday by real estate data firm CoreLogic."</p>
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</div><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Cox, Villaraigosa fight for No. 22018-05-24T04:09:00Zurn:blog:wnzcoopu1y8pw9.15rlvgzc7a0lj512018-05-23T13:23:14Z<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-feinstein-death-penalty-20180523-story.html">Dianne Feinstein, switching gears and running for reelection, now opposes the death penalty.</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>From the LAT's SARAH D. WIRE: "</strong>Sen. Dianne Feinstein says she now opposes the death penalty, a surprising reversal from her long-standing support for capital punishment &mdash; a stance that helped catapault her to the U.S. Senate 25 years ago."</p>
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<p>"Several years ago I changed my view of the death penalty. It became crystal clear to me that the risk of unequal application is high and its effect on deterrence is low," she said in a statement to The Times."</p>
<p>"The shift is the latest example of Feinstein &mdash; who built her career as a moderate Democrat &mdash; embracing more liberal positions as she faces reelection in November in a state that has become increasingly progressive.&nbsp; She also recently softened her position on<a href="http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-may-2018-feinstein-shifts-her-stance-supports-1525213545-htmlstory.html" target="_blank">&nbsp;federal enforcement actions against recreational use of marijuana.</a>"</p>
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<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article211697409.html">Walker wins, but election sweeps in new leaders at SEIU 1000</a></strong></p>
<p><b>Sacramento Bee's ADAM ASHTON</b>: "The leader of California state government's largest union won re-election, but three of her top deputies were unseated by challengers in an election for Service Employees Union International Union Local 1000."</p>
<p>"<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/marcos-breton/article202639779.html" target="_self">Yvonne Walker</a>, president of the union since 2008, will get another term leading the union that represents 96,000 state workers, according to election results the union released on Tuesday."</p>
<p>"She'll be joined by three vice presidents who were allied with one of Walker's challengers, Sophia Perkins."</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://capitolweekly.net/independent-governance-state-water-project/">Independent governance eyed for State Water Project</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>TESS TOWNSEND</strong>&nbsp;in <strong>Capitol Weekly</strong>: "The Legislature created the Department of Water Resources in 1956 for the purpose of managing the State Water Project, then in its early stages of planning. That project now comprises 700 miles of tunnels, pipelines, aqueducts and siphons that transport water from California&rsquo;s north to its more arid south, serving 26 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland along the way."</p>
<p>"It&rsquo;s a huge project with a lot of infrastructure, and it&rsquo;s most of what DWR does. But more than 60 years later, there is a move under way to take control of the project out of the hands of DWR and place it in an independent commission."</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article211130264.html">Pro-Villaraigosa ad touting Barack Obama's support leaves false impressions</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's ANGELA HARTS</strong>: "An independent campaign committee,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article211174874.html" target="_self">backed by wealthy charter school advocates</a>, is behind a television advertisement and mailed brochure seeking to boost former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's campaign for governor. Both show him with former President Barack Obama."</p>
<p>"The mailer reads, "One of the finest leaders we have in this country," attributing the quote to Obama. The TV ad starts out with a video clip of Obama."</p>
<p>"The committee producing the ads has raised $17.4 million to boost Villaraigosa's name recognition and highlight his record as mayor of Los Angeles, as he struggles to close in on second place. He&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article209804769.html" target="_self">is behind</a>&nbsp;frontrunner Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, and Republicans John Cox and Travis Allen in public opinion polls. Only the top two candidates, regardless of party, advance to the November runoff."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/05/23/santa-clara-city-council-votes-to-appoint-someone-to-dominic-casertas-former-seat/">Santa Clara City Council votes to appoint someone to Dominic Caserta's former seat</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>BANG's EMILY DERUY</strong>: "In the final minutes of Tuesday night, the Santa Clara City Council voted to appoint someone to Dominic Caserta&rsquo;s former seat rather than wait for an election."</p>
<p>"It&rsquo;s well within our purview here to appoint to the City Council,&rdquo; said Mayor Lisa Gillmor, who was herself appointed in 2011."</p>
<p>"But the decision sparked opposition from two of the six current council members &mdash; Patty Mahan and Pat Kolstad &mdash; as well as several members of the audience, who had pushed for the other option outlined by City Attorney Brian Doyle: leaving the seat empty until the November election."</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article211673794.html">This California agency has so many new employees that it's installing smaller cubicles</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's ADAM ASHTON</strong>: "California can&rsquo;t fit all of its environmental regulators in its 25-story Environmental Protection Agency headquarters, and it doesn't want to shell out tens of millions of dollars to find them new digs, either."</p>
<p>"Gov. Jerry Brown&rsquo;s administration found a solution that will sound familiar to any longtime traveler squeezing his knees into tight airplane seats: His agency wants to slash the size of standard cubicles in the EPA headquarters."</p>
<p><strong>OP-ED:&nbsp;<a href="https://calmatters.org/articles/commentary/campaigns-try-to-fool-california-voters/">Campaigns try to fool California voters</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>CALmatters' DAN WALTERS</strong>: "Politics &ndash; the means by which we govern ourselves &ndash; can be a positive, even uplifting human enterprise."</p>
<p>"Too often, however, political tactics are based on the cynical assumption that voters can be easily fooled and the current election season is, unfortunately, rife."</p>
<p>"Take, for example, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GavinNewsom/videos/10156511170003117/">television ads</a>&nbsp;that Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the leading candidate for governor, has been airing about John Cox, a San Diego businessman and the leading Republican."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/San-Jose-principal-becomes-U-S-citizen-in-front-12935237.php">San Jose Principal becomes US citizen in front of her students</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's SOPHIE HAIGNEY</strong>: "<span>In the crowded gymnasium of San Jose High School, beneath the painted bulldog mascot and vintage pennants touting volleyball and wrestling championships, principal Gloria Marchant turned and faced the American flag. She smiled and waited for her name to be called, and when it was time the gym erupted. People cheered, clapped and stomped their feet on the bleacher seats for the principal and new U.S. citizen."</span></p>
<p><span><span>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I can hold back my tears,&rdquo; said Marchant, speaking in front of more than 100 students, teachers, family and community members who had filed into the gymnasium for a naturalization ceremony. &ldquo;Becoming an American citizen has been one of my goals since I decided to make a life here in San Jose.&rdquo;</span></span></p>
<p><span>"<span>Marchant, 44, was born in Chile and came to the U.S. from Canada. On Tuesday, she stood alongside eight other immigrants as they took the Oath of Allegiance, sang the national anthem and officially became American citizens. Others who were naturalized in the small ceremony came from Mexico, India and the Philippines."</span></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/SF-PG-G-come-to-loose-agreement-on-moving-city-12935201.php?src=hp_totn">SF, PG&amp;E come to loose agreement on moving city projects forward</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's DOMINIC FRACASSA</strong>: "<span>San Francisco officials and Pacific Gas &amp; Electric Co. have reached a temporary truce in a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/SF-complains-PG-E-is-holding-up-major-projects-12786362.php">long-running spat</a><span>&nbsp;over how power gets delivered to city-owned facilities, a dispute that&rsquo;s caused significant delays and cost overruns to more than a dozen municipal projects."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>Years of friction between the city and the utility peaked in March, when the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission outlined 16 projects &mdash; including affordable-housing developments, recreation spaces and public-safety facilities &mdash; that were being hampered by what the agency called arbitrary technical requirements imposed by PG&amp;E."</span></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/community/folsom-el-dorado/article211698674.html">Folsom mailer on proposed water-rate hike surprises residents -- and city council</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's KELLEN BROWNING</strong>: "Folsom residents were taken by surprise Monday by a city pamphlet notifying them of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.folsom.ca.us/city_hall/depts/ewr/proposed_utility_rate_adjustments.asp" target="_blank">proposal to increase water and sewer rates</a>&nbsp;&ndash; and they weren't the only ones."</p>
<p>"Members of the City Council were also caught off-guard by the proposed rate increase, Vice Mayor Ernie Sheldon said. Normally, the City Council is briefed on such matters and discusses the pros and cons before information is made public, he said, but Sheldon first learned of the proposal in the mail like everyone else."</p>
<p>"There was a mistake," Sheldon said. "That&rsquo;s absolutely inappropriate.""</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/article211698714.html">Could kneeling for the US flag produce a penalty flag? NFL weighing on it, report says</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's NOEL HARRIS</strong>: "Kneeling during the honoring of the flag could get NFL players a flag under a new rule that is being weighed."</p>
<p>"<a href="https://www.si.com/mmqb/people/albert-breer" target="_blank">Albert Breer</a>&nbsp;of Sports Illustrated reported Tuesday that NFL owners discussed the possibility during the spring meeting held in Atlanta."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://calmatters.org/articles/california-could-cut-your-high-sales-tax-if-it-taxed-business-services-why-that-wont-happen-yet/">California could cut your high sales tax if it taxed business services. Why that won't happen--yet</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>CALmatters' ANTOINETTE SU</strong>: "Consider these two scenarios: A family spends Saturday afternoon at the local shopping center, buying a new washing machine, summer sandals, children&rsquo;s books, and and dog food. With every purchase, the state takes its cut, courtesy of California&rsquo;s 7.25 percent sales tax."</p>
<p>"Then consider a mid-sized advertising firm across town. It contracts with an accountant, a software developer, a lawyer and a cleaning service. Every time the company pays for these services, the state of California collects absolutely nothing."</p>
<p>"But what if the state started getting a piece of that action?"</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/05/23/little-known-accounting-policy-could-fuel-green-infrastructure-surge">Little-known accounting policy could fuel green infrastructure surge</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Water Deeply's TARA LOHAN</strong>: "<span >IN THE YEARS&nbsp;</span>to come, we&rsquo;re likely to see a lot more &ldquo;green&rdquo; and distributed infrastructure projects from water utilities, like permeable pavement, rainwater capture and efficiency rebates. That&rsquo;s because coming up with the money needed to scale these projects just got a lot easier."</p>
<p>"In the water world, most big infrastructure projects like treatment facilities and pipelines are usually financed by water agencies selling bonds, which can help them raise millions of dollars for a project that only needs to be paid off a little bit at a time over many years. That&rsquo;s because these projects are owned by the agencies and are considered an asset on which they can capitalize."</p>
<p>"But turf removal programs, green roofs and other localized water projects that can have significant impact on water consumption &ndash; often referred to as &ldquo;distributed infrastructure&rdquo; &ndash; weren&rsquo;t typically considered an asset because they weren&rsquo;t actually owned by an agency. Instead rebates for these kinds of projects were funded from operating budgets, which often isn&rsquo;t enough to really scale such efforts."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/05/22/five-term-sheriffs-lead-narrows-in-latest-poll-as-new-jail-report-released/">Five-term sheriff's lead narrows in latest poll as new jail report released</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>BANG's ROBERT SALONGA</strong>: "As the June 5 primary approaches, former Santa Clara County Undersheriff John Hirokawa shows a modest gain of support in his bid to replace five-term Sheriff Laurie Smith, particularly among voters who already turned in their ballots, according to a new KPIX/SurveyUSA poll."</p>
<p>"The poll released this week comes amid&nbsp;a new county&nbsp;<a href="http://www.scscourt.org/court_divisions/civil/cgj/2018/Detention_Facilities05212018.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">civil grand jury report on the state of the jails</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;found chronic low morale among jail deputies since the 2015&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/01/04/judge-sentences-jail-guards-for-murder/">murder of mentally ill inmate Michael Tyree by three of their colleagues.</a>&nbsp;Even so, the grand jury recommended that the full operations of the beleaguered jail system be transferred to the sheriff."</p>
<p>"Currently, the Sheriff&rsquo;s Office oversees custody operations &mdash; jail deputies and correctional officers &mdash; while a county-run Department of Correction handles administrative and logistic functions like food and laundry services. The civil grand jury described the arrangement as needlessly confusing."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Berkeley-school-may-be-renamed-for-Latina-in-12936027.php?src=hp_totn">Berkeley school may be renamed for Latina in desegregation case</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's ANNIE MA</strong>: "<span>She was the 8-year-old girl at the center of a California lawsuit that made the state the first to desegregate its schools and public spaces, laying the groundwork that challenged the idea of &ldquo;separate but equal.&rdquo;</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>Now, Sylvia Mendez&rsquo;s name may grace a Berkeley elementary school and replace that of Joseph LeConte, a prominent conservationist and co-founder of the Sierra Club who was also a slave owner and supporter of the Confederacy."</span></span></p>
<p><br /><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Oakland-hills-residents-urged-to-prepare-for-fire-12935625.php">Oakland hills residents urged to prepare for fire season</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's KEVIN FAGAN</strong>: "<span>Firefighting commanders from a dozen agencies throughout the East Bay huddled in the chilly fog at the top of the Oakland hills Tuesday to deliver a sober, and increasingly familiar, message about the approaching fire season: Get ready, because trouble is on the way."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>Coming off California&rsquo;s most destructive fire season ever, with the Wine Country blazes alone killing 41 people, tensions were already high heading into the summer. But as they stood at the edge of one of last year&rsquo;s biggest blazes in the East Bay&rsquo;s fire-prone slopes, even the most hardened of the firefighters looked a little worried as they surveyed the lush overgrowth all around them."</span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>DiFi shifts on death penalty2018-05-23T01:14:00Zurn:blog:wnzcoopu1y8pw9.15rjbp8xuix12kj2018-05-22T14:27:00Z<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article211594789.html">On his way out, Gov. Jerry Brown offers prison guards a big raise</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's ADAM ASHTON</strong>: "California's state correctional officers would get their biggest raise since the recession if they approve a tentative agreement for a one-year contract their union struck with Gov. Jerry Brown's administration this month.""The deal includes a 5 percent general wage increase that would take effect on July 1, 2019."</p>
<p>"The California Correctional Peace Officer Association's previous<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article71182597.html" target="_self">&nbsp;contract netted its members a cumulative 9.3 percent wage increase</a>&nbsp;over three years. Their<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article76989742.html" target="_self">&nbsp;final wage increase</a>&nbsp;under the agreement comes on July 1."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Supreme-Court-ruling-could-unravel-progress-of-12932175.php">Supreme Court arbitration ruling could slow #MeToo movement</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's TRISHA THADANI</strong>: "<span>As more employees feel empowered by the #MeToo movement to discuss workplace sexual harassment claims in public, some experts worry that Monday&rsquo;s Supreme Court ruling could undermine that effort."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>Under the 5-4 ruling, employers can limit workers&rsquo; ability to band together in court to pursue redress for labor violations. The practice, known as forced arbitration, means workers can be contractually obligated to solve disputes out of court and individually, rather than in a class-action suit in front of a jury."</span></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Xavier-Becerra-illegally-filmed-ads-in-state-12931955.php?src=hp_totn">Xavier Becerra illegally filmed ads in state courts, election foe says</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's Melody Gutierrez</strong>: "<span>Political ads showing state Attorney General&nbsp;</span><a href="https://xavierbecerra.com/">Xavier Becerra&nbsp;</a><span>in&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_XWibEKHSY&feature=youtu.be">staged scenes&nbsp;</a><span>inside the California Supreme Court building in Sacramento were illegally filmed, his election rival&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.davejones2018.com/">Dave Jones&nbsp;</a><span>said in complaints filed Monday."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>Jones, the state insurance commissioner, said Becerra skirted a state law barring public resources from being used by a politician for personal gain when he filmed&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peqwFpHe74M&feature=youtu.be">election ads&nbsp;</a><span>inside the state Supreme Court and state Third District Court of Appeal."</span></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article211636699.html">California appeals to save assisted death law</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's TARYN LUNA</strong>: "California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed an appeal on Monday to a court ruling that&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article211195824.html" target="_self">overturned the state's controversial assisted suicide law</a>."</p>
<p>"Nearly two years after the law took effect, a judge in Riverside County ruled last week that the Legislature improperly passed the bill during a special session on health care funding."</p>
<p>"Becerra argued in court documents that the reversal "contradicts both the deference owed the Legislature and an earlier finding by the same court that the act was within the scope of the special session," called to improve the efficiency of the health care system and improve health in California. He said laws enacted during a special session can be broadly germane to the subject matter."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Mayor-Libby-Schaaf-Act-could-imprison-12932426.php">'Mayor Libby Schaaf Act' could imprison officials who disclose ICE sweeps</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle STAFF</strong>: "<span>Immigration hard-liners&rsquo; anger toward Oakland Mayor&nbsp;</span><strong>Libby Schaaf</strong><span>&nbsp;for her warning about a federal sweep for undocumented migrants in Northern California led an Iowa congressman to propose criminal penalties Monday for officials who talk about such operations in advance."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>Republican Rep.&nbsp;</span><strong>Steve King&nbsp;</strong><span>introduced the&nbsp;</span><a href="https://steveking.house.gov/sites/steveking.house.gov/files/Updated%203-26-18%20-%20H.R.%20XXX%20the%20Mayor%20Libby%20Schaaf%20Act.pdf">&ldquo;Mayor Libby Schaaf Act of 2018,&rdquo;&nbsp;</a><span>which would ban officials from &ldquo;the purposeful broadcast ... of information relating to any imminent action by a federal law enforcement officer or agent.&rdquo; Violations could result in up to five years in prison."</span></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/election/local-election/article211426864.html">Ad Watch: Schubert's ad claims against challenger are 'iffy'</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's DARRELL SMITH</strong>: "Accusations of courtroom misdeeds against DA candidate Noah Phillips are front and center in a new ad from Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert that aired recently."</p>
<p>"The 30-second spot, paid for by Schubert&rsquo;s campaign, carries the ominous web address &ldquo;<a href="http://sacramentounderattack.com/" target="_blank">sacramentounderattack.com</a>&rdquo; and includes foreboding music and grainy black-and-white photos of the campaign challenger and the murder defendant at the center of the ad&rsquo;s claims.&nbsp;Phillips is a deputy DA and principal criminal attorney in the Sacramento County District Attorney&rsquo;s Office."</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article211339939.html">California lawsuit to protect abortion services suggested</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's ANGELA HART</strong>: "California's top cop hinted last week that the state will file another lawsuit against the federal government, potentially taking on the Trump administration over its plan to strip funding for Planned Parenthood and other clinics that provide abortions."</p>
<p>"At issue is funding for family planning and abortion services through the Title X program, expected to cost $260 million. President&nbsp;Donald Trump&nbsp;announced last week that the federal government would impose new rules barring health care clinics from receiving funds if they provide abortion services or referrals."</p>
<p>"The Trump-Pence administration is yet again attempting to interfere in a woman's health care decisions...this proposed rule is reckless and threatens women's access to critical health care," state Attorney General&nbsp;Xavier Becerrasaid in a statement. "At the California Department of Justice, we stand ready to take action to defend the rule of law and protect women from the Trump-Pence administration's dangerous attacks on their health care."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/He-really-loves-the-job-Could-SF-interim-12921012.php">'He really loves the job': Could SF interim Mayor Mark Farrell return?</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's HEATHER KNIGHT</strong>: "<span>Back in January, shortly after being named San Francisco&rsquo;s interim mayor after the unexpected death of Mayor Ed Lee,&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Mark-Farrell-says-brief-tenure-as-SF-mayor-will-12541019.php">Mark Farrell told The Chronicle&rsquo;s editorial board</a><span>&nbsp;his upcoming six months in office would be the end of his political career."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>&ldquo;This is it,&rdquo; he said then. &ldquo;Ask my wife."</span></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Legislators-try-again-to-ban-Cow-Palace-gun-shows-12928864.php">Legislators try again to ban Cow Palace gun shows</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's KEVIN FAGAN</strong>: "<span>A pair of local legislators will make yet another run at banning gun shows at the Cow Palace &mdash; and they say growing American revulsion at mass shootings, particularly at high schools, puts momentum in their favor."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>The cavernous, state-owned exhibition hall in Daly City hosts five gun shows a year, the most recent in April, but those shows have drawn a growing number of protesters as&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Mass-shootings-are-on-the-rise-So-are-classes-on-12466219.php">gun massacres proliferated</a><span>&nbsp;throughout the nation. State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, is now proposing legislation that would ban the sales of guns or ammunition at the hall, beginning in 2020."</span></span>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/05/21/five-things-to-know-about-water-bonds-on-upcoming-california-ballots">Five things to know about water bonds on upcoming California ballots</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Water Deeply's MATT WEISER</strong>: "<span >CALIFORNIANS THIS YEAR&nbsp;</span>will vote on not one but two water bond measures totaling $13 billion. Given that the state still hasn&rsquo;t spent all of the $<span >7.5</span>&nbsp;billion from the Proposition 1 water bond passed in 2014, it raises a crucial question: Does California really need another $13 billion in water bonds?"</p>
<p>"As of December 2017, the state had allocated only about $1 billion from Proposition 1. About half of the total money available from the bond is dedicated to new water storage under a complicated new process that funds only the &ldquo;public benefits&rdquo; of such projects. The first dribble of money from that pot is expected to be awarded later this year."</p>
<p><span >"</span>With all that money still coming, why two more water bonds? Here are answers to some basic questions about the ballot measures that may help illuminate the situation."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sgvtribune.com/2018/05/21/midnight-today-is-the-deadline-to-register-to-vote-in-californias-june-primary/">Midnight today is the deadline to register to vote in California's June Primary</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>OC Register's JORDAN GRAHAM</strong>: "If you want to register to vote in&nbsp;California&rsquo;s June 5 primary election, you&rsquo;ll have to&nbsp;<a href="https://registertovote.ca.gov/">act quickly</a>."</p>
<p>"The deadline for online registration is at 11:59 p.m. tonight, Monday, May 21."</p>
<p>"Primary voters will pick two candidates to advance to November&rsquo;s general election in the races&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/05/16/newsom-california-governor-bay-area-poll/">for governor</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/04/26/california-governor-poll-newsom-villaraigosa-cox-allen/">senator</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ocregister.com/2018/04/12/big-money-political-gamesmanship-shaping-o-c-congressional-races/">several competitive congressional districts</a>, which could sway the national balance of partisan power, among other contests. They&rsquo;ll also vote in some local elections."</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article211610184.html">Pension fund's CFO 'no longer works' for CalPERS after hiring review</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's ADAM ASHTON</strong>: "CalPERS is recruiting a new chief financial officer a month after a financial blog reported that Charles Asubonten exaggerated his recent work history in his application to work for the giant pension fund."</p>
<p>"Asubonten was scheduled to make presentations as chief financial officer at last week's public meeting of the California Public Employees' Retirement System Board of Administration. He did not make those public appearances."</p>
<p>"CalPERS spokesman Wayne Davis said on Monday that Asubonten no longer works for CalPERS."</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://capitolweekly.net/changes-community-college-funding-put-students-first/">Community college funding: Put students first</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>CASSANDRA JENNINGS/PAMELA HAYNES </strong>in <strong>Capitol Weekly</strong>: "A certain (now disgraced) writer-producer-director is credited with saying, &ldquo;80 percent of success is just showing up.&rdquo;</p>
<p>"That would be nice, right? But for many of us, this just doesn&rsquo;t hold true."</p>
<p>"Showing up to a job interview doesn&rsquo;t get us 80 percent of the way to the job."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/If-Oakland-wants-to-keep-fighting-coal-at-12928867.php">If Oakland wants to keep fighting coal at terminal, it's going to be expensive</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's MATIER &amp; ROSS</strong>: "<span>Oakland&rsquo;s failed fight to keep coal shipments from passing through its waterfront cost the city more than $3.1 million in outside legal bills, according to records provided by the city attorney&rsquo;s office."</span></p>
<p>"<span>The coal fight stemmed from a 2013 agreement between the city and local developer&nbsp;</span><strong>Phil Tagami&nbsp;</strong><span>allowing him to build a $250 million shipping terminal on the old Oakland Army Base next to the port."</span></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/diaz/article/Newsprint-tariffs-hit-newspapers-hard-12924492.php">Newsprint tariffs hit newspapers hard</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's JOHN DIAZ</strong>: "<span>&ldquo;Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel,&rdquo; the saying goes. Yet the Trump administration is picking a fight with American newspapers over something they buy at even greater cost and quantity: newsprint."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>The administration recently slapped tariffs and anti-dumping penalties on imported Canadian paper, resulting in newsprint price increases of up to 30 percent in the United States. I will give President Trump the benefit of the doubt here and assume this is not another attack on the free press from the man who has called journalists &ldquo;enemies of the American people&rdquo; and has alternately threatened to jail them, revoke their credentials and use government powers to undermine their owners&rsquo; business interests."</span></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Frustrated-SF-Supervisor-Ronen-wants-affordable-12932150.php?src=hp_totn">Frustrated SF Supervisor Ronen wants affordable housing projects sped up</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's DOMINIC FRACASSA/JK DINEEN</strong>: "<span>The speed with which affordable housing projects are approved in San Francisco has increased in recent years, especially since 2017 when Planning Director&nbsp;</span><strong>John Rahaim</strong><span>&nbsp;issued a directive that developments with more than 30 percent below-market-rate units be given priority."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>But as Supervisor&nbsp;</span><strong>Hillary Ronen</strong><span>&nbsp;has discovered, a fast approval doesn&rsquo;t necessarily translate to a rapid construction start."</span></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/SF-mayor-convenes-summit-to-address-high-12932908.php">SF mayor convenes summit to address high affordable-housing building costs</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's JK DINEEN</strong>: "<span>A mix of escalating construction costs and changes to the federal tax code is hampering San Francisco&rsquo;s ability to finance and build affordable housing. And the situation may only get worse even as the housing crisis forces thousands of families to flee to less-expensive cities."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>That was the message from city housing officials Monday at a special &ldquo;cost summit&rdquo; convened by Mayor Mark Farrell. The group &mdash; about 50 nonprofit developers, architects, labor leaders and contractors &mdash; was asked to spend the next two months coming up with solutions for tackling the city&rsquo;s spiraling housing construction costs."</span></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/homeless/article211600504.html">Huge pop-up homeless shelters are planned for the Sacramento neighborhoods</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento bee's RYAN LILLIS/CYNTHIA HUBERT</strong>: "A controversial homeless shelter in North Sacramento will remain open for at least three more months - and its replacement may be coming to an empty lot near you."</p>
<p>"Mayor Darrell Steinberg said Monday the city plans to open a massive tent-like structure on city-owned property by September that will shelter up to 200 homeless individuals. Steinberg said he eventually wants to house 600 people in three of the shelters, which are based on the "Sprung structure" model that has been credited with helping to reduce the homeless population in San Diego."</p>
<p>"The mayor has not identified sites for the pop-up shelters, but said he was "not ruling anything out."</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article211617389.html">Sacramento to discuss part in Kaiser's $200M investment to fight homelessness</a></strong>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's MOLLY SULLIVAN</strong>: "Kaiser Permanente, the Oakland-based nonprofit health care provider, announced Friday a $200 million investment in affordable and supportive housing to prevent homelessness nationwide."</p>
<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">"The specific projects and amount to be invested in the Sacramento region are still to be determined, a Kaiser Permanente spokesman said. Mayor Darrell Steinberg said he will meet with Kaiser officials later this week to discuss the plan."</p>
<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">"The initial focus will be to fund programs that prevent displacement and homelessness in low- and middle-income households, the company said in a news release."</p>
<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><a href="https://www.sgvtribune.com/2018/05/21/atfs-investigation-into-pasadena-police-officers-began-with-a-gun-seized-at-a-crime-scene/">ATF's investigation into Pasadena police officers began with a gun seized at a crime scene</a></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>SCNG's JASON HENRY/HAYLEY MUNGUIA</strong>: "A gun purchased by a Pasadena police officer turned up at a crime scene less than three years later and launched a federal investigation into illegal weapon sales throughout Southern California, according to newly released emails."</p>
<p>"Now-retired Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez was notified in November 2016 by a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives official in Los Angeles that one of his officers was linked to a gun recovered by another police department. Though the email is marked confidential, city officials released it this week through a public records request."</p>
<p>"As discussed, it appears one of your officers has been engaged in the business of dealing firearms without a license in violation of federal and California firearm laws,&rdquo; wrote Eric Harden, the former agent in charge of the ATF office in Los Angeles. &ldquo;Additionally, an ATF trace indicates the officer was the original purchaser of a firearm recovered by a neighboring police department with a short time to crime (time from original purchase to recovery). Hence, ATF is conducting an investigation of alleged unlicensed firearms dealing."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Year-into-job-BART-police-chief-optimistic-drug-12932408.php">1 year in, BART's police chief optimistic about 'downward trend' in crime, drug use</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's EVAN SERNOFFSKY</strong>: "<span>Walking through the stream of daily commuters in San Francisco&rsquo;s bustling Powell Station, BART Police Chief Carlos Rojas looked around the bright corridors Monday with cautious optimism."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>Exactly one year has passed since he was sworn in as chief of the Bay Area&rsquo;s biggest regional transportation agency, and he&rsquo;s been busy tackling issues ranging from robberies, assaults and overt drug abuse to chronic fare evaders."</span></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Measure-3-seeks-to-ease-traffic-congestion-by-12929826.php">Measure 3 seks to ease traffic congestion by raising Bay Area bridge tolls</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's MICHAEL CABANATUAN</strong>: "<span>BART&rsquo;s packed, Interstate 80 and Highway 101 are backed up day and night, it takes forever to get in and out of Silicon Valley, and places like the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, which few ever figured to be traffic trouble spots, have become hellish."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>The Bay Area&rsquo;s fragile transportation network is reaching a breaking point. A BART train that breaks down in the wrong place will send delays shuddering through the entire system. A big crash on one freeway or bridge will lead to hours of backups that radiate through the region."</span></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/transportation/article211595954.html">'Staycation,' anyone? how rising gas prices are putting a chill on summer travel plans&nbsp;</a></strong></p>
<p><span>Sacramento Bee's KELLEN BROWNING<strong>: "</strong></span>As gas prices continue to rise nationwide &ndash; with California&nbsp;<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/national-gas-price-average-jumps-12-cents-14-days-motorists-pay-highest-memorial-day-prices-since-2014/" target="_self">leading the way</a>, at $3.71 per gallon &ndash; Americans are planning fewer and shorter road trips this summer, a recent survey found."</p>
<p>"Currently $2.93 per gallon&nbsp;<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/" target="_self">on average</a>&nbsp;in the U.S., gas prices are expected to rise to $2.95 by Memorial Day &ndash; 50 cents more than last year. The 2018 summer travel survey for"</p>
<p>"GasBuddy.com, a gas price tracker, found drivers plan to cut costs and avoid gas guzzling by limiting road trips."</p>
<p>"Fifty-eight percent of GasBuddy's survey respondents said they will take a road trip this summer, down from 82 percent last year. Thirty-nine percent said high gas prices would impact their travel plans, 20 percent more than in 2017."</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article211601559.html">First Folsom elementary in over a decade will have enhanced security and innovative class spaces</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's DIANA LAMBERT</strong>: "Folsom Unified plans to build its first new school in more than a decade to serve students in Folsom Ranch, the planned community being built south of Highway 50 in Folsom."</p>
<p>"The 3,300-acre Folsom Ranch project will contain nearly 11,000 homes and apartments, two fire stations, a police station and 82 acres of office and commercial buildings. It will be built out over 25 to 30 years."</p>
<p>"The new school will be a single two-story building that will accommodate 668 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The two-story building will allow the district to build on a smaller footprint and will enhance security and collaboration at the school, according to district officials."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sgvtribune.com/2018/05/21/azusa-school-board-members-informally-agree-they-dont-need-to-close-campuses/">Azusa school board members informally agree they don't need to close campuses</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>SGV Tribune's CHRISTOPHER YEE</strong>: "While the Azusa Unified school board could still decide to close campuses, board members informally agreed last week that there may no longer be a need to close any campuses."</p>
<p>"Faced with declining enrollment and a projected multimillion-dollar budget shortfall, in March the board had tasked a committee to determine whether any campuses might be considered &ldquo;surplus&rdquo; and thus be eligible for closing. At an April 27 meeting, the committee&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sgvtribune.com/2018/04/27/azusa-unified-contemplates-closing-three-schools/">recommended shuttering</a>Sierra High, a continuation school, and its associated adult education school in Glendora, Mountain View Elementary in Azusa and Magnolia Elementary in Azusa."</p>
<p>"At its meeting May 15, the school board opted to table a decision to accept the recommendations to deem the properties surplus and consider them for sale or lease because the committee&rsquo;s report was only made available the morning of the meeting."</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Prison guards offered big raise2018-05-22T05:15:00Zurn:blog:wnzcoopu1y8pw9.15rfr9pcbcc57ga2018-05-21T13:30:29Z<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article211500444.html">A bar too high? Pass rate plummets to record low for California lawyer exam</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's ALEXEI KOSEFF</strong>: "Only a quarter of applicants passed the California bar exam in its most recent sitting, the State Bar of California announced this week, a record low for the test that lawyers must successfully complete to practice in the state."</p>
<p>"The pass rate for the February exam sank to just 27.3 percent, about 7 percentage points lower than last year and the first time since 1986 that it has fallen below 30 percent. The previous low, according to a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Portals/0/documents/admissions/gbx/GBXpassratesummary.0218.pdf" target="_self">summary of results</a>since 1951, came in the spring of 1983, when 27.7 percent of applicants passed."</p>
<p>"In a statement Friday, executive director Leah T. Wilson said the State Bar recently launched an intervention program to "improve performance on the bar exam" and "better understand the downward trend of the bar exam pass rates." It is also preparing to complete a study about the needs of entry-level lawyers, in order to evaluate the exam standards."</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article211475639.html">Get a text ad from a candidate? Invasive, maybe, but it works, say experts.</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's DARRELL SMITH</strong>: "Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert is taking to texts to get her message out in her bid for re-election in June."</p>
<p>"Schubert for two months has sought the support of potential voters via messages that pop up on cell phones. Text messaging, said Schubert campaign manager David Gilliard, is just &ldquo;another tool in the tool box&rdquo; of a political campaign. Real Justice, which supports Schubert's challenger Noah Phillips, also targets potential voters via texts, said Vince Duffy, Phillips' campaign manager."</p>
<p>"Campaign texts, though not new, are part of a growing base of media strategies raising concerns among voting rights and privacy advocates. Campaigns, they say, have access to an increasing amount of voters' personal information from which to build detailed profiles of potential voters."</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article211465204.html">Trump endorses Cox for California governor</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's ALEXEI KOSEFF</strong>: "President Donald Trump has endorsed&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article192846079.html" target="_self">Republican businessman John Cox</a>&nbsp;for California governor."</p>
<p>"California finally deserves a great Governor, one who understands borders, crime and lowering taxes. John Cox is the man - he&rsquo;ll be the best Governor you&rsquo;ve ever had," Trump wrote Friday on&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/997597940444221440" target="_self">Twitter</a>. "I fully endorse John Cox for Governor and look forward to working with him to Make California Great Again!"</p>
<p>"The president's backing could be critical for Cox as he tries to consolidate GOP voters ahead of the June primary. Only the top two candidates will advance to a runoff, and Cox&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article209804769.html" target="_self">is locked in a tight battle&nbsp;</a>with fellow Republican Assemblyman Travis Allen for second place in the gubernatorial race. Gavin Newsom, the Democratic lieutenant governor, is the frontrunner in polls."</p>
<p><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/California-GOP-has-a-lot-riding-on-2-candidates-12928288.php"><strong>California GOP has a lot riding on 2 candidates for governor</strong></a></p>
<p><strong>From JOE GARAFOLI in the Chronicle:</strong> "<span>Californians looking to vote for a Republican in the June 5 governor&rsquo;s primary face largely the same choice they have for the past decade: a tough-talking conservative officeholder or a wealthy businessperson who has never been elected."</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span>"I<span>n 2010, the choice was between then-state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and billionaire former eBay CEO Meg Whitman. In 2014, the options were Tea Party favorite Assemblyman Tim Donnelly and former Goldman Sachs Vice President Neel Kashkari."</span></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span><span>"<span>Both times, the wealthy businessperson advanced to the general election, to be crushed by Democrat Jerry Brown."</span></span></span></p>
<p><b><a href="https://projects.sfchronicle.com/2018/voter-guide/">The Chronicle's June 5 election voter guide</a></b></p>
<p><b>STAFF</b>: "<span>The Chronicle urges all voters to take part in the June 5 election. Here is our guide to the ballot measures and races that state and local voters will be deciding. For additional campaign coverage, visit our&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/elections/" target="_blank">Election 2018 page.</a><span>&nbsp;For details on how and where to vote, see&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/where-and-how/" target="_blank">the state's website</a><span>."</span></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/marcos-breton/article211479844.html">Sometimes, you just have to bring that baby to a meeting</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's MARCOS BRETON</strong>: "A male politician carrying his baby son into constituent meetings, zoning negotiations, fundraisers, press conferences, neighborhood association gatherings, political conventions, cross-country lobbying trips and every other form of grip-and-grab required of politicos is not, even in 2018, a familiar sight."</p>
<p>"But it has been at City Hall since last November, when Javier William Guerra was born to Christina Lokke and Sacramento City Councilman Eric Guerra. Since then, baby Javier and his councilman father have been a ubiquitous pair on the local political scene. They have turned heads and opened eyes. They have stretched the boundaries of gender norms in the workplace. They have caused old-timers to tease Guerra mercilessly for being a new version of Mr. Mom. But they have also moved other people who are a generation older than 39-year-old Guerra to recall wistfully moments gone by when they chose work over family and missed out on time with their kids."</p>
<p>"I've been shocked at how often I've heard that," said Guerra."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Legislators-try-again-to-ban-Cow-Palace-gun-shows-12928864.php">Legislators try again to ban Cow Palace gun shows</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's KEVIN FAGAN</strong>: "<span>A pair of local legislators will make yet another run at banning gun shows at the Cow Palace &mdash; and they say growing American revulsion at mass shootings, particularly at high schools, puts momentum in their favor."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>The cavernous, state-owned exhibition hall in Daly City hosts five gun shows a year, the most recent in April, but those shows have drawn a growing number of protesters as&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Mass-shootings-are-on-the-rise-So-are-classes-on-12466219.php">gun massacres proliferated</a><span>&nbsp;throughout the nation. State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, is now proposing legislation that would ban the sales of guns or ammunition at the hall, beginning in 2020."</span></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article211202174.html">Police were called to handle an escalating mental-health crisis. This is why they backed off</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's ANITA CHABRIA</strong>: "<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article208358729.html" target="_self">Stevante Clark&nbsp;</a>was slipping out of control, and the police cruiser parked on his front lawn wasn't improving his mental state."</p>
<p>"It was the evening of April 16, almost a month since the<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article206055609.html" target="_self">&nbsp;fatal shooting of Clark's younger brother</a>. Stephon Clark, 22, had been killed outside of his grandmother's house by two Sacramento Police Department officers on March 18 after they apparently mistook his cellphone for a gun and fired 20 rounds at him."</p>
<p>"Stephon Clark's death became&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article206212019.html" target="_self">an international story</a>, and Stevante Clark, 25, was at the center of it &mdash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theroot.com/stephonclark-grieving-older-brother-charged-with-misd-1825541916" target="_self">a grieving</a>, flamboyant, increasingly erratic figure featured in a whirlwind of protests, press interviews and unpredictable encounters with the public."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Kaiser-will-put-200-million-toward-affordable-12924030.php">Kaiser will put $200 million toward affordable housing, homelessness</a></strong></p>
<p><b>The Chronicle's KIMBERLY VEKLEROV</b>: "<span>Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente said Friday it will invest $200 million in the coming years in programs to grow affordable housing and mitigate homelessness in Bay Area cities and other locations where the health system operates."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>The exact projects into which the &ldquo;impact-investing&rdquo; dollars will go have yet to be determined, but Bechara Choucair, a physician and Kaiser&rsquo;s chief community health officer, said they will be focused on preserving and expanding affordable housing. Programs that prevent displacement of low- and middle-income families also will be a funding priority, the company said."</span></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sgvtribune.com/2018/05/20/how-cash-strapped-pomona-bit-the-bullet-and-came-up-with-a-solution-for-its-homeless-residents/">How cash-strapped Pomona bit the bullet and came up with a solution for its homeless residents</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>SGV Tribune's LISET MARQUEZ</strong>: "The idea of putting a homeless services center isn&rsquo;t the type of project council members fight to have in their district."</p>
<p>"Let&rsquo;s face it, &ldquo;there&rsquo;s always the potential for community backlash,&rdquo; Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval said."</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article211209699.html">East Area Rapist arrest has police scouring old files. Is a 13th murder charge to come?</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's SAM STANTON</strong>: "When authorities in Sacramento announced the arrest of a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article209779364.html" target="_self">suspect in the East Area Rapist</a>&nbsp;case last month, 60-year-old Jim Sigle in Alabama immediately took notice."</p>
<p>&ldquo;They finally caught the guy,&rdquo; Sigle thought to himself. &ldquo;It just doesn&rsquo;t seem right that this could happen and there not be somebody held accountable."</p>
<p>"Like countless others who have lost friends to unsolved cold cases, Sigle was hoping the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo would solve the Oct. 16, 1980, disappearance of his onetime girlfriend, Kathy Emilia Neff."</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/health-and-medicine/article211469924.html">A computer system failure hit Sutter Health. Now, patients and nurses are concerned</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's CATHIE ANDERSON</strong>: "The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article211179674.html" target="_self">companywide information system failure at Sutter Health</a>&nbsp;last week is raising concerns among some nurses and at least one patient about how the health-care giant functioned amid the crisis."</p>
<p>"In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sutterhealth.org/news-room/network-downtime-updates" target="_blank">a video message to Sutter Health employees</a>, Sutter Chief Executive officer Sarah Krevans complimented the patience, thoroughness, commitment, compassion and resilience of employees, saying "all of this helped to ensure the continuity of high-quality, safe patient care."</p>
<p>"We will be reviewing every aspect of this event and taking seriously every recommendation for improvement," she said. "I also want to hear from all of you. I want to know what happened where you work."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Shaped-by-AIDS-crisis-Covered-California-s-12929709.php">Shaped by AIDS crisis, Covered California's leader champions health access</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's CATHERINE HO</strong>: "<span>In the 1980s, Peter Lee headed for the front lines of the HIV/AIDS crisis. In Washington, D.C., the Pasadena native helped organize rallies in front of the White House to protest the Reagan administration&rsquo;s tepid response to the epidemic."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>It was his first job in health care, and 30 years later, the lessons still resonate as he heads the enormous insurance marketplace known as Covered California."</span></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/election/article211421204.html">House Republicans set terms for Trump to campaign on their turf</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>McClatchy DC's KATIE GLUECK/ALEX DAUGHERTY</strong>: "Rep. Mike Coffman threw his hands in the air and stomped away. Rep. Leonard Lance smiled ruefully as he said the White House was "cross" with him. And Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick cited the uncertainties of his schedule as he stepped into an elevator."</p>
<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">"The question of whether endangered GOP candidates want President Donald Trump to campaign with them sparked dodges, lengthy pauses and a cascade of caveats in interviews with about two dozen GOP House members who are facing varying degrees of competition in races this fall."</p>
<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">"But the answer several Republicans from tough districts have settled on is, sure &mdash; if Trump will campaign on their terms."</p>
<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Failing grades2018-05-21T01:18:00Zurn:blog:wnzcoopu1y8pw9.15r5xbdpvlz9u8u2018-05-18T12:02:58Z<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article211346629.html">Dems increase effort to avoid California catastrophe</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>McClatchy DC's ALEX ROARTY</strong>: "The political arm of House Democrats is undertaking a late push to drive up voter turnout in a handful of marquee California congressional districts where the party now faces the possibility of not even having a Democrat make it onto the November ballot."</p>
<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">"The operation from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee includes mailers and digital ads, aimed at registering and turning out the party&rsquo;s voters in four battleground districts ahead of the June 5 primary."</p>
<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Each district &mdash; all suburbs around Orange County, California &mdash; is among the party&rsquo;s best pickup opportunities this year, and failing to have a general election candidate in any of them would be a significant blow to Democrats&rsquo; hopes of winning the 23 seats necessary for a House majority."</p>
<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article211320424.html">Why a mailer on Dreamers from a 'nonpartisan' Latino group is worrying Democrats</a></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>McClatchy DC's KATE IRBY</strong>: "The pitch to voters in swing congressional districts is aimed at reminding Latino voters which vulnerable Republican and Democratic congressmen are supporting Dreamers."</p>
<p>"What the mailers don't say is that they come from a group with close ties to the conservative Koch brothers."</p>
<p>"The mailers prompt voters to thank each congressman for "supporting a permanent solution for Dreamers" and to ask them to "keep working for a permanent solution that provides certainty for Dreamers and security for our borders."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Brown-signs-California-bill-protecting-12923397.php">Brown signs bill protecting undocumented immigrants in California courts</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's MELODY GUTIERREZ</strong>: "<span>Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Thursday to limit when a person&rsquo;s immigration status can be disclosed in open court, a measure aimed at keeping crime victims and witnesses from exposing themselves to possible deportation when they take the stand."</span></p>
<p><span>"<a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB785">SB785</a><span>&nbsp;by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, requires that a judge hold a closed hearing to consider whether the immigration status of a victim, defendant or witness is relevant before allowing it to be raised in open court."</span></span></p>
<p><strong>READ MORE</strong>&nbsp;related to <strong>Immigration</strong>: <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/ICE-arrests-of-non-criminals-in-California-soar-12923304.php">ICE arrests of noncriminals in California soar amid Trump crackdown</a> -- <strong>The Chronicle's HAMED ALEAZIZ</strong>; <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/California-Republicans-close-to-forcing-vote-on-12923784.php">California Republicans close to forcing vote on DACA bills in House</a> -- <strong>The Chronicle's GAYLE PUTRICH</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article211372934.html">Groping allegation against Cristina Garcia not substantiated by Assembly</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's ALEXEI KOSEFF</strong>: "An Assembly investigation did not corroborate allegations that Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article199198249.html" target="_self">drunkenly groped a former legislative staff member</a>."</p>
<p>"The Bell Gardens Democrat took an&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article199314829.html" target="_self">unpaid leave from the Assembly in February</a>&nbsp;after Daniel Fierro, who now operates a political communications firm in Cerritos, said she cornered him at a legislative softball game in 2014, squeezed his butt and attempted to grab his crotch."</p>
<p>"I look forward to returning to work and getting back to the business of representing my constituents," Garcia said in a statement Thursday declaring that she had been "exonerated." Her spokeswoman said she has not yet decided on a return date to the Capitol."</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE</strong>&nbsp;related to <strong>Sexual Misconduct</strong>: <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/49ers/article/Reuben-Foster-case-Ex-girlfriend-s-testimony-a-12923841.php">Reuben Foster case: Ex-girlfriend's testimony a setback for domestic violence victims</a> -- <strong>The Chronicle's ANN KILLION</strong>; <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/MeToo-California-lawmaker-cleared-of-groping-12924043.php?src=hp_totn">#MeToo California lawmaker cleared of groping allegation</a> -- <strong>The Chronicle's MELODY GUTIERREZ</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sgvtribune.com/2018/05/17/west-covinas-mike-spence-says-he-will-resign-as-mayor-effective-june-1/">West Covina's Mike Spence says he will resign as mayor, effective June 1</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>SGV Tribune's CHRISTOPHER YEE</strong>: "After being named in a police drug investigation and facing the likelihood that he could be stripped of the title of West Covina mayor, Mike Spence abruptly announced that he would resign from that largely ceremonial role on Thursday."</p>
<p>"The City Council had just convened a special meeting to discuss Spence&rsquo;s status. It was still possible that council members could vote Thursday to remove him from that role."</p>
<p>"Spence said his resignation as mayor would be effective as of June 1."</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/05/17/how-much-water-should-california-cities-use-new-data-could-help">How much water should California cities use? New data could help</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Water Deeply's ERIK PORSE</strong>: "<span >THE RELATIVELY DRY&nbsp;</span>2017-18 winter in California resurfaced recent memories of drought conservation mandates. From 2013-16, urban water utilities complied with voluntary, then mandatory, water use limits as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/5.9.16_Attested_Drought_Order.pdf" target="_blank">Executive Order B-37-16</a>. Urban water utilities met a statewide 25 percent conservation target, helping the state weather severe&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ppic.org/publication/building-drought-resilience-californias-cities-suburbs/" target="_blank">drought</a>. Winter rains in 2016-17 led to a reprieve from mandatory conservation. Freed from statewide requirements, urban water agencies ended mandatory cutbacks by meeting &ldquo;stress tests&rdquo; that included several years of secured water supplies."</p>
<p>"A useful outcome of the 2013-17 drought period was long-needed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/conservation_portal/conservation_reporting.shtml" target="_blank">reporting data</a>&nbsp;on monthly urban water use and conservation. This reporting has continued, creating a growing repository for measuring trends. The data helps understand how much water California cities actually use, including trends over time, across geography and seasonal differences."</p>
<p>"But importantly, can it help understand how much water California cities should use? Some analysis of the water conservation reporting data, coupled with recent research, lends a few clues to this more complex question."</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE</strong>&nbsp;related to <strong>Energy &amp; Environment</strong>: <a href="https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/05/16/hemp-legalization-poised-to-transform-agriculture-in-arid-west">Hemp legalization poised to transform agriculture in arid west</a> -- <strong>Water Deeply's MATT WEISER</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article211344339.html">Baby boomers would get a huge property tax break under this November initiative</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's RYAN LILLIS</strong>: "Older California residents who move could save thousands of dollars in property taxes under an&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article175792866.html" target="_blank">initiative</a>&nbsp;that has qualified for the statewide November ballot."</p>
<p>"The initiative &ndash; backed by the California Association of Realtors &ndash; would change a key provision of Proposition 13, the state&rsquo;s 40-year-old property tax law that ties a home&rsquo;s assessed value to its sales price and caps the property tax rate at 1 percent of that value."</p>
<p>"Under the initiative, people over the age of 55 moving within the state could pay property taxes&nbsp;<a href="http://www.lao.ca.gov/ballot/2017/170501.pdf" target="_blank">based on the sales price</a>&nbsp;of the home they are leaving. The new tax structure would be determined by a complicated formula that takes into account the values of the home someone is selling and the home they are buying."</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE</strong>&nbsp;related to <strong>Development &amp; Economy</strong>: <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article211363414.html">Brides left in limbo after wedding venues in Sacramento area get tangled in federal lawsuit</a> -- <strong>Sacramento Bee's BENY EGEL</strong>; <a href="https://www.sgvtribune.com/2018/05/17/bumble-bee-ceo-indicted-on-charge-he-fixed-canned-tuna-price/">Bumble Bee CEO indicted on charge he fixed canned tuna price</a> -- <strong>AP</strong>; <a href="https://www.sgvtribune.com/2018/05/17/southern-california-house-prices-up-7-3-percent-in-april-realtors-report/">SoCal house prices up 7.3 percent in April, Realtors report</a> -- <strong>OC Register's JEFF COLLINS</strong>; <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/05/17/bay-area-now-has-more-billionaires-than-moscow-or-london-report/">Bay Area now has more billionaires than Moscow or London: report</a> -- <strong>BANG's SEUNG LEE; </strong><a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/05/17/initiative-to-expand-prop-13-homeowner-tax-benefits-eligible-for-november-ballot/">Initiative to expand Prop 13 homeowner tax benefits eligible for November ballot</a> -- <strong>BANG's KATY MURPHY</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/SF-Subway-contractor-knew-it-was-using-wrong-12917269.php">SF: Subway contractor knew it was using wrong rails</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's MATIER &amp; ROSS</strong>: "<span>The Central Subway contractor that installed 3.2 miles of supposedly substandard track on the new line claims it acted &ldquo;in full compliance&rdquo; with its contract, despite being told by the city four years ago that it was using the wrong steel and needed to switch it out, city records show."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>Contractor Tutor Perini and its rail subcontractor, Con-Quest Contractors, claim that under the contract the high-strength rail is &ldquo;not required for any of the ... track work&rdquo; that is in dispute."</span></span></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/California-birthrate-plunges-to-lowest-level-in-a-12923521.php">California birthrate plunges to lowest level in a century</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>The Chronicle's STEVE RUBENSTEIN</strong>: "<span>The birthrate in California has plunged yet again, to its lowest level in a century, according to the latest U.S. statistics, as young adults continue to postpone having or not have families."</span></p>
<p><span>"<span>Fewer than 12 children were born per 1,000 California residents in 2017, according to preliminary figures released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With a population of 39.5 million, there were 471,552 babies born in California last year, for a birthrate of 11.9 per 1,000 people. That&rsquo;s about half what it was in 1990."</span></span></p>
<p><strong>READ MORE</strong>&nbsp;related to <strong>Health &amp; Healthcare</strong>: <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Covered-California-premiums-projected-to-rise-11-12922990.php">Covered California premiums projected to rise 11 percent in 2019</a> -- <strong>The Chronicle's CATHERINE HO</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article211368599.html">Two arrested in 2016 shooting that targeted Woodland police officers</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento Bee's NASHELLY CHAVEZ</strong>: "The Woodland Police Department on Thursday announced the arrest of two men in connection with a 2016 shooting that police said&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article99013102.html" target="_blank">nearly killed</a>&nbsp;four of the department&rsquo;s officers."</p>
<p>"One of the men arrested in that case, Christian Rizo, 20, was already in jail for the June 29, 2016, killing of Woodland resident Arnulfo Bermudez, 31, a previous department press release said. A jury found Rizo guilty in that case earlier this month."</p>
<p>"Rizo was taken into custody on Sept. 26 and was described by the Woodland Police Department as a validated Norte&ntilde;o gang member at the time."</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE</strong>&nbsp;related to <strong>Prisons &amp; Public Safety</strong>: <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/SF-Mayor-Mark-Farrell-renominates-2-for-police-12923830.php?src=hp_totn">SF Mayor Mark Farrell renominates 2 for police commission who Supes rejected</a> -- <strong>The Chronicle's DOMINIC FRACASSA</strong>; <a href="https://www.sgvtribune.com/2018/05/17/wife-of-retired-pasadena-police-chief-tried-to-buy-a-gun-through-a-lieutenant-later-indicted-by-federal-authorities/">Wife of retired Pasadena police chief tried to buy a gun through a lieutenant later indicted by federal authorities</a> -- <strong>Pasadena Star News's JASON HENRY</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article211346064.html">Sacramento leaders vow to protect golf course, but some residents have other ideas</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sacramento bee's CASSIE DICKMAN</strong>: "Local officials seem determined to save the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.williamlandgc.com/" target="_self">William Land Golf Course</a>&nbsp;after the operator said the course&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/city-beat/article211204794.html" target="_blank">may have to shut down after nearly a century</a>&nbsp;due to financial losses."</p>
<p>"But when some residents found out the course was in trouble, they offered other possibilities, from a nature area to a major expansion of athletic fields."</p>
<p>"Golf course proponents include Councilman Steve Hansen, who represents the Land Park neighborhood, and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg. The mayor, who plays at the course, said Wednesday on Twitter he's adamant about keeping it open."</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>Dems scramble2018-05-18T04:15:00Z